Soon, the tale of Gearless Joe will be told far and wide.
Earlier today, Viz Media announced that they licensed the Megalobox anime. According to Viz, their license includes exclusive theatrical, broadcast, and home media rights. The company also holds a non-exclusive license for streaming and merchandise related to the property.
Megalobox is an original project, which was produced to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe) manga. You Moriyama helmed the project at TMS Entertainment, with the team of Katsuhiko Manabe (Shin Kyūseishu Densetsu Hokuto no Ken: Raoh-den Gekitō no Shō) and Kensaku Kojima taking charge of series composition and scripts.
mabanua (Kids on the Slope) scored the soundtrack. In addition, You Moriyama pulled double duty on conceptual design.
Crunchyroll streamed the show as it aired in Japan. They describe it as:
A desolate land stretches out from the city of poverty. A motorcycle speeds recklessly, blowing clouds of sand and dust. The rider is the protagonist of this story – he has neither a name nor a past. All he has is his ring name, “Junk Dog” and a technique for rigging MEGALOBOX matches with his pal Gansaku Nanbu, which they use to support their hand-to-mouth lives. JD is bored, resigned, and unfulfilled. Yuri has been the reigning champion of MEGALOBOX for the past few years. He has the skills and presence of a true champion. This is a story of JD and his rival, Yuri.
A manga adaptation of Megalobox by Chikara Sakuma, titled Megalobox – Shukumei no Sōken, launched in the March 2018 issue of Kodansha’s Shonen Magazine Edge.
Source: Viz Media (Industry Panel)
